If you were to ask a chronicler what the single most difficult part of his job was, he would tell you it was starting the story. There is nothing harder than trying to word a beginning so that it can present the following tale in the right manner. It was this pet peeve that Kopeke faced as he thought long and hard about how to begin a story like this. So he started it in a way that no chronicler ever had before… he started it just as the hero was being defeated.

Takanuva slammed into a wall with incredible force. He tried and failed to lift his head as rubble fell around him.

“How pathetic,” the Golden Skinned Being ridiculed in his psychedelic double-voice, “I expected more from you, Toa Takanuva. I expected a challenge; instead I received no more than a practice dummy. It appears you Toa truly are all useless. I almost feel sorry for the Matoran.”

“Us… Toa… are not… useless,” Takanuva struggled as he started to get up, “you… are a tyrant… and it is our job… to deal with… people like you. In the end…” Takanuva jolted in pain as he picked up one of his battered weapons, “you’ll just be… a legend… a campfire story that nobody even remembers.” He hefted his weapon in both hands and charged at the Golden Skinned Being, flaring like a star with the most powerful element of them all, light. Just as he was about to reach his opponent, his chest connected with some sort of projectile and he was thrown back, landing his head hard on a brick of masonry. The light died away, and his eyes slowly closed.

“Threat has been neutralized,” came a voice behind the Golden Skinned Being’s massive shoulder. It was Hewkii. He looked at the body of the Toa with an expressionless face. A single one of six barrels on his Cordak Blaster lay empty, smoke pouring from the recently fired weapon.

“Pity,” the Golden Skinned Being commented without any emotion, “I could have used him. Hewkii?” Hewkii turned his gaze to his unquestioned master, acknowledging his name. “Deal with this mess, my eyes are tired of it.” With that, the Golden Skinned Being walked away. There was a heart wrenching sound of metal passing through armor. The birds flew away, the breeze died, the temperature dropped, it was as if nature itself had stopped, and then silence, dead silence.

Toa Takanuva, Toa of light itself… was no more.

CHAPTER 2

Jaller blasted of fire from his sword, drenching the watchtower in flame. Matoran and Agori alike ran screaming.

"Who is that?” Ackar asked from his vantage point.

"His name is Jaller,” replied Tahu grimly, “he’s a Toa.”

"If he’s a Toa, then why is he doing this?” Ackar inquired.

"I don’t know, but we have to stop him,” came Tahu’s reply. The made their way through the crowds panicked Matoran.

"Jaller, what are you doing?” demanded Tahu. He drew his sword and ignited it, preparing for the worst. Jaller responded by firing a jet of flames at Tahu.

"What the--” Ackar was suddenly interrupted by a solid gust of wind to his face.

"Kongu, why are you two doing this?” Tahu yelled over the roaring fire and screaming villagers, “why are you attacking New Atero?”

"Does not comply,” Kongu stated. He fired his Cordak Blasters at Tahu and Ackar, who narrowly dodged them. Suddenly, something solid hit Ackar in the back, sending him flying. He got up and turned around to see Jaller had gotten up and shot him. He returned fire, launching his Thornax straight at the Toa of Fire’s face.

"What is going on?” asked Gelu as he ran to Ackar and Tahu’s side.

"These Toa have gone nuts! Their attacking the city!” Tahu exclaimed, deflecting a rocket with his blade.

"I gathered that, but why?” Gelu asked.

"We don’t know!” Ackar replied. The fighting was interrupted as a massive groan sounded out all through the blazing city. Everybody turned to see the central tower of New Atero, first and tallest building built for the city crumble before the horrified eyes of the inhabitants of New Atero. The symbol of the struggles of Spherus Magna’s painful history, symbol of millennia of sacrifices and accomplishments alike, fell to the ground. It crushed all the buildings in its sight and pinned inhabitants to the ground with its mighty flaming rubble. The trees erupted into columns of white flame and burned bright like candles.

"I don’t believe it,” Gelu said, “New Atero is destroyed.”

"Fallen to the same soil that it’s predecessor was built on eons ago by the Great Beings,” Tahu said.

The thoughts did not last long, though. Jaller rose up from the ground again, along with Kongu. Fueled by his rage, Tahu slammed into Kongu so hard he slid out of view. He turned around and held Jaller to the wall of a hut by his neck.

"Look what you have done!” Tahu cried, “You have destroyed a city! You have broken the Toa code! Why? Why must you do this to yourself?”

"I am not a Toa,” Jaller replied mechanically, “I exist only to serve the Golden Skinned Being, and the Golden Skinned Being ordered us to destroy New Atero.”

"What?” Tahu asked, “Who is this Golden Skinned Being? Where are the other Toa Mahri?”

"Your knowledge is irrelevant,” Jaller said flatly. He broke free of Tahu’s grip and ran off into the distance.

"What’s happening?” asked Ackar.

Tahu did not answer, he simply looked into the distance. The Golden Skinned Being, he thought to himself, whoever that is, he’ll pay for what he’s done. The Toa Mahri will be avenged.

Toa Jaller looked idly into the horizon. He was trying to fight back... trying, but the chip was just too strong. He wondered if he could make it, wondering wouldn’t do anything. All he owned were his thoughts… usually.